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Cafe Vivoli
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
201 Pine St(between Battery St & Sansome St)
San Francisco, CA 94104
Neighbourhood: Financial District
(415) 772-9922
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 9 am - 3 pm
Mon-Fri 3 pm - 9 pm
Sat 12 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Rachel Ann H. said: "I lived in this neighborhood for almost two years now but ive never been in this place called the cafe majestic ... I was surprised how pretty the dining room the food was great very straight forward our server celeste was excellent…" read more »
139 reviews for Cafe Vivoli
Review Highlights
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"They have everything from a salad bar to homemade lasagna." In 32 reviews -
"my new spot for pasta cravings and the price is right." In 67 reviews -
"The Crazy Alfredo and Pesto Chicken are my faves." In 8 reviews
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139 reviews in English
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Review from Eric M.
4/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
You'd think I'd have learned from the $5.99 all you can eat dim sum that it's just not worth it to go to an inexpensive all you can eat place. But when I saw the sign advertising $5.99 for all you can eat pizza and salad, I couldn't resist.
It's an interesting format. They have various slices that are usually sold individually but for the all you can eat, you just tell them which one(s) you want, they heat the slice for you, and you enjoy. The salad bar, of course, is purely self-serve.
So, both the Mrs. and I got a plate of salad as we waited for our slices to heat. The salad bar is fairly basic but isn't just lettuce and dressing. No complaints at all for the price.
The pizza is pretty good, actually. New York style with thin but not super-thin crust. Decent toppings although the vegetable-only slices (we tried veggie and mushroom) needed a bit of salt.
Each of us only had two slices so it would have been about the same price to order two of their slice specials (buy two slices and get a free soda). But if we had done that, we would have had to pay extra for the salad so it worked out for the better. -
Review from Michael W.
Sunnyvale, CA
3/29/2012
***ONLY HAVE PIZZA***
I order 2 slices of sausage and pepperoni and it was horrible. The crust was dull and had no flavor whats so ever. I don't think I have ever had a slice of pizza this lifeless. I would have been better off with a DiGiorno pizza. No thanks to this place. -
Review from Dave S.
Sacramento, CA
3/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Nothing special. But not a disappointment either.
I stopped by here for lunch and saw they had a deal of buy 2 slices and get a free soda, so I got a veggie slice and a cheese slice. 2 slices for a little over $7 after tax isn't bad, but it's not exactly a great deal either. I thought the cheese slice was pretty good actually, but the veggie slice wasn't as good. The amount of veggies was nice, but the crust was really bad. I was surprised that two slices of pizza put in at the same time would differ so much in the quality of crust, including the bottom of the pizza, so every bite was very crunchy.
I would come back here to try some of the other food, but I'd probably search somewhere else for a tastier slice of pizza. -
Review from Erika C.
4/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
I kept expecting this to be like Gypsy's... same menu and all. This is no Gypsy's! Godfather's Favorite, my go-to dish, was insanely bland. It was like pasta tossed with cream. Won't be coming back. Le sigh.
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Review from Katie M.
2/10/2012
I first heard of Cafe Vivoli when my friend told me they're basically Gypsy's (I go to Cal and I absolutely LOVE Gypsy's oversauced pasta and ridiculously carby pizza and calzones), so it would be blasphemous not to try it out.
My coworker and I were looking for somewhere to go for a late lunch, so we ended up going here right after the lunch rush - big mistake. The salad, pizza and pasta bars were demolished and it didn't look like they were going to refill anytime soon, so we had to order from the menu. I got the lunch special with salmon steak and fried rice (they ran out of potatoes :(). My friend got some kind of pasta with a Caesar salad. She was pretty disappointed when she saw the cashier walk up to the salad bar to cram lettuce into a little plastic box - that was her salad.
Eh. So my salmon was okayyy. It was juicy but it also lacked flavour. The rice (which I didn't want in the first place) was mushy and gross, and I ended up just moving it around on my plate. My friend really liked her pasta, though, but I didn't bother trying it. She said the salad was meh.
I mean, it was a cheap meal, and I guess we ran out of luck by coming in right after the rush... but my food was honestly pretty disgusting. I felt like I wasted my money. Maybe I'll give Cafe Vivoli another chance, but I'll be sure to order something off the regular Gypsy's menu.
The place isn't too clean, and you can tell a lot of people go through it every day. There's A LOT of seating inside, so I can only imagine how packed it is during normal lunch hours. -
Review from Maple S.
San Francisco, CA
2/23/2012
How could you possibly hate on a place that has all-you-can eat pizza and salad for under $10?
Seriously people - have you ever had outstanding quality food at ANY all-you-can eat? Lighten the fck up.
I filled my to-go box to the brim for $6 - anywhere else this would have been an easy $10-15. Needless to say, Yay! I'm a fan.
Two thumbs up for having two veggie pasta selections in the salad bar. -
Review from Glenn M.
San Francisco, CA
2/12/2012
I wandered around the area for lunch trying to find something different.
I walked into Cafe Vivoli and I was immediately drawn to the menu. everything looked so good and the reasonable price made me think this was too good to be true.
I ordered the chicken gnocchi. I liked it. It has heavy sauce lots of carbs and a huge portion especially for the price. The chicken in it was ok, sometimes I think it can be just fine or even better with no meat.
It isn't really the best lunch option if you plan on finishing everything. It can probably be two different meals. I've ordered this several times, and most of those times my stomach hasn't felt good. I wouldn't call it food poisoning, but it wasn't just being bloated either. It's probably my stomach telling my tastes buds, "Yo, I'm glad you/re happy but this isn't very healthy stop it now" I'm obviously banging my head against the wall by ordering the same thing when I come here expecting different results.
I'd eat here again if I was in the area, but I would try something else for sure. Price and portions are the best parts of this place, and hopefully I can find another dish! -
Review from Victoria R.
Lancaster, CA
9/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place was a nice find. After 7 hours in a car, my friends and I decided to find a chipotle on market a few blocks from our hotel, however we never made it.
We were surprised with how empty this place was, especially for a Friday at 4:30- but I suppose most people were still at work. Their pizza buffet is a great idea. Their pizza was surprisingly delicious ( a little doughy on the crust) one thing I thought was interesting is that you get your pizza from the front where they then warm it for
You. Their salad bar had the typical, as well as grilled peppers, several types of pasta and avocados. For $5 this was a great deal.
It worked out perfectly that we stumbled upon this place, and it's only a two block walk to market street. -
Review from Jay C.
San Francisco, CA
7/12/2011
Stopped in the other day; felt compelled to write a review.
I was on the way to catch the express bus on Pine and Montgomery when I saw the banner for the 5.99 special.
I walked in and the guy behind the counter was more than friendly and helpful. I actually felt like he gave a shit whether I wanted to eat there or not, which was actually kind of exciting when you eat in those innumerable downtown food joints that couldn't care less.
Overall, I was actually surprised at how good the pizza was. Salad was pretty average, but everything looked clean.
Might stop by again if I'm on the way. -
Review from Resa N.
Bay Area
7/21/2011
Fast. Cheap. Convenient.
Vivoli has 4 stations;
Pizza Station... pretty good. Slices are huge. Chicken Pesto is the best
Pasta Station... I've tried most of the dishes and they're all OK. Some can be thick and heavy with mounds of flavor. Others can be watered down and very bland. My FAVE is the Frutti di Mare w/ Alfredo sauce (with Fettuccine noodles makes it even much better).
Salad Bar...I used go here a lot for their salad bar until I discovered another spot on the other side of my building that has more of a variety. Regardless the salad bar here is also just OK.
I haven't really tried anything from the Soup/Sandwich station since I mainly come here if I need a quick fix for some pasta. It's a good spot to meet up with a friend. I like it b/c they have a good number of tables that you can easily grab. -
Review from Jeannie L.
San Francisco, CA
7/26/2011
I come here for lunch pretty often because the portions are big enough that I have enough for lunch the next day.
I usually get the Bronx Tale, sausage, meatballs in a red sauce. You get to customize your order as well. So I make it spicy and change the pasta to penne. Love that you can just customize whatevers on the menu to your tastes. The chicken pesto is good too! I even tried it with sausages... That was weird but that was no one's fault but my own. They toss a piece of garlic bread in with your order. You can ask for an extra piece too. They have never been too stingy with it.
Tried their pizza and it's decent. Crispy and toasted warm upon ordering. Definitely not the best I've ever had but still good. Guess since they went under new management the "half off pizza" after 3pm is no longer in effect. Sad! But they do have their $5.99 pizza/salad buffet in effect for dinner. Maybe I'll check it out one day because it's pretty darn cheap!!Listed in: Fidi Lunch Spots
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Review from Coream K.
San Bruno, CA
7/22/2011
I've recently revisited and tried the restaurant after my bad experience several years ago. There were many customers after business hours (which is rare in Financial District) and I wanted try out $5.99 buffet special they were advertising outside.
First of all, their pizza is really good. They were medium crust and about eight different toppings. They'll heat up each pizza for you. They have good selection of salad bar but it could be better(It's only reason I give them 4 star)... but the price you pay for great pizza and nice fresh salads for $5.99, you can't beat that anywhere in Financial District in SF. MUST GO PLACE FOR TOURIST AND THE LOCALS IN THE AREA!!!
I'll definitely will go back to try out the variety of pastas (this weren't included in the buffet)... They had good selection and made by order...
P.S. found out that the buffet special is from 3pm - 9pm on weekdays and all day on SAT... it happens to be ran by under new management. -
Review from Gwen K.
Hilo, HI
7/20/2011
Been wanting to try this place, but more for their advertised all you can eat pizza and salad bar buffet. I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs. Pasta is cooked right there in front of you, the sause is yummy, as for the meatballs, they claim this the meatball are homemade. Negative....they taste like the frozen back of cooked meatballs you can buy at costco. They fry it to look like they are cooked as you can see some sides have a bit of burnt/charring on them from the skillet. Also they are all the same size, non were oddly shaped. LOL I like my balls coming in all shapes and sizes, thats when you know they are real.
oh well, maybe their pizzas will be good. Keep in mind this rating is only for spaghetti and meatballs. -
Review from Beverly T.
Emeryville, CA
4/11/2011
2 stars cause their portions are HUUUUUGE.
Lasagna: Was this supposed to be meat lasagna? I have no idea. I think I just got a huge portion of noodles, cheese and sauce. Either way it was big enough for two meals and pretty cheap. Flavor was ok but man, can you say HEARTBURN?! The available sides all looked like crap so I just got two servings of their veggies. They surprisingly had a nice little variety of cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, onions, snap peas and some other stuff. Unfortunately they were soaked in butter and sitting under a heat lap. =P
Sidenote: Probably won't be back unless I'm craving two servings of heart attack on a plate.Listed in: FiDi Lunch Stops
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Review from Ed U.
Customer disservice, thy name is Vivoli ...let me share a flashback to this snatch of harried lunch hour dialogue from this past week:
Ed U: "I'd like to get the Half Rotisserie Chicken please"
Cashier: "What?"
Ed U: "The Half Rotisserie Chicken"
Cashier: "Chicken Caesar?"
Ed U: "No, the Half Rotisserie Chicken."
Cashier: "Chicken Piccata?"
Ed U: "No, I want the Half Rotisserie Chicken. It's on your menu up there." (I point to the overhead menu with fierce determination.)
Cashier: "Chicken Sandwich?"
Angry customer behind me: "Are you going to order or WHAT?"
Ed U: (Sigh) "...I'll have the Fettucine with Mushrooms and a Diet Coke"
Cashier: "Next!"
Just the $7.95 plate of starch I didn't want replete with a drippy tomato-based (I'm just guessing here) sauce clinging precariously to an overly al dente pile of pasta. I think I saw a few fungi in there (see photo). Well, at least the Diet Coke was authentic. I should know since the cashier made me get it myself from the fridge behind the counter.
FOOD - 1.5 stars...nearly inedible pasta that I didn't want in the first place
AMBIANCE - 2.5 stars...room to eat, room to be ignored
SERVICE - 1 star...OK, read the dialogue again
TOTAL - 1 star...oh Cafe Vivoli, you have the distinct honor of earning only my 9th one-star rating out of 1600-plus reviews ...Congrats! -
Review from Lawrence L.
San Diego, CA
2/16/2012
Had a slice of the chicken pesto pizza. It was slightly below average. Not enough pesto. Average amount of chicken, but it was slightly greasy and overcooked. Price (~ $4 including tax) was appropriate for the quality.
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Review from Gladie H.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2011
Not only was the service awful and atmosphere--as another yelper put it--harried, but:
1. The vegetarian burrito I ordered has cold bell peppers and random bits of romaine clearly pulled from the bin for sandwiches. I repeat, cold.
2. No black beans, which I ordered. The thing was tasteless and cold.
here's the kicker...
3. There was a CRICKET-LIKE CREATURE IN THE BURRITO. When I took it back, disgusted, they were UNCONCERNED. in fact, one of the cooks had a smirk on his face as he fried some other's poor quality fair.
Wow. For reals?
Talk about a douchebag with a bad case of schadenfreude.
This was an incredible combination of carelessness and truly bad service. Will not be going back there.
Bottom line: Gross, contaminated food and horrible service. Cafe Vivomit. -
Review from Jamie L.
1/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Nom-nom-nom
Their Fettuccine Con Pesto was the carb bowl of heaven that I have been wishing for. Especially on a rainy day. Sure it was crazy busy with take-outs, but I was digging their space, their food, and well my company sure made it better.
Definitely be back when I'm craving some good Italian comfort food. -
Review from Alvin T.
San Francisco, CA
11/4/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I work across the street and they used to be closed in the afternoon which would suck because I start my shift around that time. But they have new hours and I'm now able to order a pie for me and my coworkers whenever we need a pizza fix. Guy working the evening shift is very hospitable with providing plates and all the necessary condiments. Also tried some of the pasta dishes in the past and it's pretty good. Cool spot in the FiDi.
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Review from Nate P.
I've been to Cafe Vivoli (or Cafe Vulva as hilariously coined by a Berkeley residing co-worker) many times over and yet...this is my first (and perhaps my only) review on this spot. Let me start by saying that I haven't had anything other than the pizza at this place. Judging by the other reviews about the rest of the food that is served here it's highly likely that pizza is the only food I'll ever buy from this establishment.
About the pizza - it's surprisingly pretty good. Their chicken pesto (which happened to be sold out already) is probably their best pizza. The slices are pretty generous in size. These scrumptious slices of heaven are reasonably priced. All in all a decent meal. -
Review from Diana M.
6/21/2011
This is interesting - there's a couple of Asians behind the counter? Not sure if they own it, manage it, or cook for the restaurant? But the restaurant is Italian? Odd.
Pasta bar was ok. Tried their ravioli and it wasn't too bad. Not great; but not bad.
Pizza slices are pretty big. Good lunch deal if you don't care about counting calories.
Stick with the pizza. -
Review from Rebekah T.
San Francisco, CA
10/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
This Italian restaurant is a good place to go to, if you don't have much time and you might not be sure of what you want. They have a couple bars, where you can order different types of food.
They have a pizza bar that serves up slices from around $3-$4 per slice. Buy two slices and you get a free soda. You can add on a house salad or Caesar for $1.00. Cheap lunch right there.
They have a salad bar that even has salmon and chicken, so that you can add a little protein in addition to the wide variety of veggies and salad accessories.
The pasta bar serves up anything you want. I've had the fettuccine alfredo and it was pretty good. They also have a soup and sandwich bar, but I have yet to try those. -
Review from Jordan F.
San Francisco, CA
7/23/2011
Fairly priced large portion pasta dishes with explosions of flavor through the whole meal. It's a great place if you are not watching calories or carbs. Plus, I always have enough left over for lunch tomorrow.
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Review from R C.
San Francisco, CA
7/23/2011
Awesome the tables were very neat and clean when I walked in. The pizza was really good &salad just for only 5.99. Is great for lunch , dinner and late night enjoyable. When the pizza is cold they will reoven it for you. The one thing i don't like was I had to finish it all ,because i did not want to waste any food I was so full after a plate of salad and a pizza then I took another one ! ! Even though I was full I was tempted to take another piece of pizza and i still ate it all.!
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Review from Yejin K.
Oakland, CA
7/14/2011
Wow, now they open evening, too with better deal. Pizza buffet was great! Freshly re-baked every slice for me. I loved the sausage pizza, excellent salad bar and made-by-order pasta for $9.99. I heard the deal is only btw 3-9pm. I went there around 7pm and there was plenty of street parking. : D
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Review from Jessica T.
San Francisco, CA
10/17/2007
About 6 dollars for a huge, fresh plate of penne gorgonzola and a lukewarm piece of garlic bread. Penne pasta cooked in a creamy gorgonzola sauce with tomatoes and spinach.
The financial district is not exploding with cheap quality Italian eats. Trust me I've looked. So discovering Cafe Vivoli, and having tested it's reliability with three consistently good meals here now - has secured Cafe Vivoli as a new lunchtime favorite.
The only drawbacks are that it can get crowded and it's hard to find seating during peak lunch hours.Listed in: Places to Eat in the Financial…
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Review from Marsha Z.
San Francisco, CA
10/18/2006
If you've read my reviews you'd know that, besides Thai, I'm all for good, cheap eats. Finding a restaurant in the FiDi to fit both the criteria can be tough, but Cafe Vivoli has it.
For $6, you can get a nice plate of pasta and a slice of bread. The choices here are overwhelming. The plethora of menu options (soups, salads, sandwiches, and calzones, oh my), coupled with the fact that I was probably excited to be lunching with someone else for a change (a fellow Yelper, to boot!), caused me, a vegetarian, to order pollo con pesto. It didn't occur to me at the time that I had just ordered chicken. Not only that, when I realized my error, I *gasp* ate around it. (My deepest apologies to the veg*n police.)
I'll definitely be back.Listed in: Pizza, The Requisite FiDi Lunch List
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Review from Herra Chink y.
San Francisco, CA
7/18/2006
O.K. You probably won't understand this unless you are a Cal alum, or a very familiar with Berkeley's collegiate food scene, but dude, Cafe Vivoli is GYPSY'S TRATTORIA ITALIANO (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) Yes yes, Gypsy's Trattoria, the only non-Asian restaurant in Berkeley's Asian Ghetto on Durant, has now made its way to San Francisco in the form of "Cafe Vivoli."
I've been there four times since they've reopened, and I've ordered all the Berkeley favorites - Gypsy's Chicken, Bronx Tale, Crazy Alfredo, and Victor's Spaghetti. They also have the Pollo al Gorgonzola and al Funghi dishes, as well as all your other favorites. And they've remained at Berkeley (i.e. non-FiDi) prices!
By the way, only the pasta section has been revamped by Gypsy's - the Calzones here are small and aren't served in those huge pink bakers boxes, and they don't serve individual size pizzas - just by the slice.
There's also a salad bar, a soup and sandwich bar, and some roasted chicken stuff, that I've never tried. -
Review from Ben P.
San Francisco, CA
12/28/2007
Pizza:
As God is my witness, I thought I could eat two pieces of pizza. I am not a small man, nor a man of small appetites. But both times I tried to wrap myself around two slices of Vivoli pizza, I paid a desperate price. The pizza is decent, greasy, and frickin huge.
Pasta:
They have a large selection of pasta, most of which is quite decent. I suspect the pastas with white sauce contain at least a half stick of butter per serving, but who's complaining?
I will note that I was there today, and it was so cold in the restaurant that:
1. the guy working the cash register at the pasta bar, despite standing right next to several open-flame stoves, was wearing a wool coat buttoned all the way up;
2. your correspondent, normally a warm blooded and hearty man, kept his Mountain Hardwear jacket on and zipped up throughout lunch, and would have kept his gloves on if he could have operated a fork whilest wearing them;
3. I considered contracting the clap in the hopes that the burning sensation would bring warmth to my body.
Which is my way of saying, it was a little cold in there. -
Review from Brian B.
Livermore, CA
8/22/2007
Take it! Take another little pizza my heart now, baby. OK, Apologies to Janis Joplin. This is a great place to get a quick slice of pizza or a salad in FiDi. The salad bar is pretty good although if I were after a salad, I'd probably go across the street to Soup Freaks. They have some entrees too but I haven't tried them yet.
The food is tasty enough. Seating is OK. I was underwhelmed with the drink selection (Coke products and Snapple=blah). If you're looking for a grab and go option for those days when you just don't have two hours for the Aqua expense account power lunch, this could be a nice option. -
Review from saba D.
San Francisco, CA
9/30/2009
Work is boring.
This place is not.
I find it hilarious that this place offers not only tasty Italian food but hasMexican food and breakfast options as well. I tend to migrate towards this restaurant quite often when I need a heavy meal fix. The single slices of pizza are as large as the box and for only $4 it helps me save a lot of money....at least for THAT day...
I've never tried their Mexican cuisine since I always go straight for the cheesiest things on the menu- namely the penne gorgonzola. I'm addicted to this dish. Even during the spinach scare of 07 I continued to order this dish (though I was grossly disappointed to find that restaurants refused to serve tainted spinach to me, even after I generously offered to slip them a George Washington for their trouble and promised not to tell the authorities if I die of spinach poisoning)
Service is fast, the food is scorching hot and burns my tongue as I eat since I forget to blow on my food, and the prices are typical for the FiDi. -
Review from Jessica P.
Emeryville, CA
4/30/2007 1 Check-in Here
That's some good carbs. If I'm going to give in to sin, then this is the place around work.
Huge portions, smells great, cafeteria service (you're in, you're out, you're stuffed) and the pasta dishes are comforting and scrumptious. Price range is ok, and the garlic bread is so good! (that is, if you don't get the butt end piece, but my roomie was kind enough to share her slice with me)
I wouldn't go here for the salad bar or the calzones, but the smell from walking by just reels me in! -
Review from Jim W.
6/19/2009
Bugs in the salad. Now as a six-day-a-week omnivore I normally wouldn't mind, but see Wednesday is my high-holy Vegan day. I don't even look at the butter in the fridge. So imagine my disdain when, after payment of legal tender, I should peer down and see my fellow denizens of Kingdom Anamalia scurrying round my savory greens.
And to the idjit workers ulalating incessantly in response to my request for my $2.96 refund, F*U* in five languages. -
Review from Joy A.
Great lunch spot if you're craving Italian food. Fast, simple, & tasty! They have four stations to please people (or else confuse the silly ones that are always "undecided"): salad bar, pizza bar, sandwich bar, and pasta bar. What more can you ask for?
A few friends and I came here because we all know Cafe Vivoli as a good pasta joint. Portions are huge and the pasta of course is delicious & hearty. We followed a "chicken penne" theme and opted for the (1) Cypsy chicken, (2) Gorgonzola Pollo, and (3) Broccoli Chicken.
The Cypsy chicken had garlic, mushrooms, and a nice cream sauce. The Goronzola Pollo, which was fully equipped with lots of spinach, tomatoes, pink sauce, and that strong kick of Gorgonzola cheese. Yum! Veeeeeery flavorful and tasty, but RICH. My pasta was satisfying, tender chunks of chicken breast and sauteed broccoli with a lighter parmesan cream base. All dishes did not disappoint, and went well w/ the complimentary garlic bread.
Bottom line: good lunch spot for sure!! -
Review from Jen I.
4/25/2007
Came here once with my roommate for pasta and we both agreed that The Godfather's favorite is our favorite as well.
I went here today for a quick bite and mistakenly ordered 2 slices of pizza to go. When I got back to my office and opened the box (which I notices was rather heavy) to find what can only constitute as one whole medium pizza.
Slices are gigantic. While they're not particularly mindblowingly good, they were titanic sized.
Which I find odd as the calzones looked so tiny in comparison. -
Review from Jenny L.
2/3/2009
Cafe Vivoli in FiDi = Gypsy's in Asian Ghetto. That, plus a salad bar and a pizza station. I think the line cooks may be the same people; they look oddly familiar.
So, same menu, different crowd. It always makes me feel like a college student when I walk into Vivoli.
Gypsy's chicken is the way to go. Skip the clam liguine in white sauce; it's virtually tasteless.
If you don't want to to come out smelling like food, I suggest taking it to-go. You've been warned. -
Review from Lorrie N.
Fort Irwin, CA
4/14/2008 1 photo
2.9 stars
On the low end of almost 3 stars because I don't think I will go back with so many other places around to eat better pizza and pasta.
The Penne Gorgonzola pasta was overcooked and the sauce seemed watery. Maybe it was a bad day?
The pizza was okay, filling, but not really anything special.
The cashier was unhappy to be there, not pleasant, not rude, not nice, not really there.
There are a lot of tables and places to sit. Went there about 1:15 PM on a weekday, it wasn't crowded.Listed in: Blacklisted
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Review from Cory D.
9/26/2008
This was one of my favorite places, but they got new ownership or something...
Last three times I went there I've gotten sick. They don't cook the chicken well any more, they just cook a whole bunch and then put it in a large container and use it until it's gone throughout the weeks.
I got really really sick last time, and had to go home. I just can't take it any more. I hope y Gypsies back in Berkeley is still the same... -
Review from John D.
Honolulu, HI
6/15/2006
First, my rating M.O.: in my book, the perfect restaurant strikes just the right balance between fresh & healthy quality ingredients, great taste, and value. Atmosphere/service may sway the rating one way or another if I'm on the fence, but it's never more than a minor consideration.
Cafe Vivoli earns high marks for all three food factors. The atmosphere is loud and fast-paced, busy without seeming too crowded. When you first walk in it may not be clear what to do, because they have a pizza/calzone counter in front, a salad bar in the middle, and a pasta counter in back.
I was lured in by their sign saying "try our new pasta dishes!" So I meandered to the back.
This was definitely not a case of false advertising. They had an impressive array of pasta dishes to choose from posted on a big board (that you can only see if you actually walk to the other side of the salad bar).
I got a steaming hot dish of salmon fettucini with capers in a delicious tomato sauce. Red onions were optional, so I opted for them. I highly recommend doing this--they add an extra tasty dimension without being too strong. The pasta was done just right, and the salmon had a delicious, slightly smoky taste. This culinary delight was a mere $6.29, and I'm guessing you would have to pay at least twice that much to get something this good anywhere else in SF.
The only real disappointment of the meal was the side caesar salad, which came crammed in a little plastic box with prefab crutons and dressing. The dressing was tasty but it's hard to get the mix balance right in a tiny little box. Oh well how much can you expect for $1.99? Clearly they are set up for (and do) a lot of take-out business, but as an eat-in customer I was hoping for something a little less perfunctory. [It's worth mentioning that the pasta was served in a heavy-duty ceramic bowl, which augmented the overall experience.]
Since I am only in SF for the summer, it has been my policy to try someplace new for every meal out. Cafe Vivoli is the first place that has me re-thinking that policy, because there were a number of fabulous and affordable pasta dishes I still want to try. If you work in downtown SF you owe it to yourself to give this gem a try. Hope to see you there! -
Review from Amanda C.
San Francisco, CA
5/4/2007
" Lunch time is the Super Bowl of daily food service events" - Me
While I understand the lunch time rush sucks I just don't understand how people in the food service industry can be so rude during it. It happens every single day especially in the Financial District.
This review comes after many experiences with Cafe Vivoli but today was simply the last straw.
A co-worker and I went to order at Cafe Vivoli today on our way back from some lunch time shopping. I ordered first, everything went smoothly then my co-worker ordered. She stepped aside looked at her receipt and noticed the cashier rang her up for the wrong thing. She is a strict vegetarian so the chicken gnocchi wasn't going to work for her.
5 minutes of the manager and the cashier fighting with her and not wanting to return the monetary difference between the two dishes they agree and tell her to figure out how much the owe her....wait...WHAT?!?! You are standing at a cash register, you have two calculators in front of you, AND you are both grown men? - STRIKE ONE
We ordered to go so my co-worker gets her money back and we decide to go drop our stuff off at the office (across the street) and come back to pick up our food. It's the lunch rush, there is a wait, we get that! So we drop our stuff off and head back to Vivoli. We were gone no more than 5 minutes.
We head to the counter and the manager starts screaming at us. How he looked EVERYWHERE for us. How dare we insult him. How rude we are being. How he bent over backwards to fix her order. How we are stupid girls.
Okay...wait...BITCH DID NOT! He fought her over giving the money back! He yelled at her telling her to just pick the chicken out! He didn't do a damn thing to fix her order!
At that point I look at him and just say "can I have my food" and he proceeds to yell at me the entire way through the door making this huge scene. It was absolutely ridiculous.
On top of the service being shitty their sauces are either way too heavy or way too light.
Just skip this one.
